ABOUT

Established in 1993, the Education Foundation of Millburn-Short Hills is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the Millburn public school curriculum by providing equipment, technology, programs, and staff development that cannot otherwise be funded. One of its major events is the Millburn Film Fest, a celebration of student filmmaking in the district.

Alyssa Russo & Lynn Farscht

The Film Fest was conceived in 2011, when Ed Foundation members Lynn Farscht and Alyssa Russo attended a fundraiser and saw a music video created by Millburn High School students. So impressed were they by the students’ work, they decided to create an event to showcase the creativity and technological skills of Millburn students while highlighting the impact of Ed Foundation contributions.

The first Millburn Film Fest took place in 2012. Since then it has become a popular annual event, screening a mix of short features, animated films, and documentaries that reflect the wide-ranging interests and imagination of the Millburn student body.

The judging panel features industry professionals who are Millburn alumni or residents. They have included notables such as John C. McGinley (“Scrubs”), Alan Zweibel (“SNL”), and Joe Kernan (CNN’s “Squawk Box”). Members of the Millburn Arts Advisory Committee also act as judges and mentors.

The Education Foundation of Millburn-Short Hills has been instrumental in bringing media technology to Millburn schools. Thanks to an Ed Foundation grant, Millburn High School was able to launch Studio 462, its first and only student-run broadcasting network and production studio. Gifts to the studio and related art courses have approached $100,000 since the Millburn Film Fest’s inception.